Late
by Sewa
Summary: Yachiru asks Zaraki to go for a picnic but doesn't tell him exactly where to go. He's already late, but when he runs into Kurosaki Ichigo, he's even later.


**Late**

The big mass of muscle sat atop the roof of the eleventh division headquarters, watching the sunset. He wasn't normally a sunset-man, but today it seemed….different. Out of seemingly nowhere, a ball of pink plummeted into his chest. He didn't move a muscle, just looking down at the now moving petite form of his fukutaicho. She looked up at him with the biggest smile on her face.

"No." he said harshly, not even bothering to hear what she had to say.

"Ne, Ken-chan, I didn't even ask yet." She whined.

"No." he said, unmoved.

She pulled the cutest pout ever that would have worked on anyone. "Known you too long, Yachiru. That face don't work on me."

She sighed and turned to the sunset. After a few, long minutes, Zaraki heaved an enormous sigh. Yachiru smiled inwardly, triumphant.

"Alright, what was it?"

"Can Yumi-san, baldy-san and I have a picnic?" she smiled up at him, waiting.

"You three can do whatever the hell you want, Yachiru."

She began shaking her head. "But I want Ken-chan to come too."

He looked down at her, heaving another sigh. "Fine. But who's cooking? If Yumichika has anything to do with it, I'm out." He said, remembering painful memories from the past.

She patted his cheek. "Don't worry Ken-chan, I'll ask Bya-san for the food and stuff." He translated what she said to himself. Her definition of ask was different to anyone else's definition. Her definition was 'pester.'

She jumped off his lap, running in the direction of the building which housed the eleventh division squad members. "Thanks Ken-chan! Be there at two o'clock!"

He sat for a second then stood up. "Wait! Yachiru! Be where?" he cursed under his breath. She should know more than anyone about his lack of sense of direction.

He sat back down, and watched the rest of the sunset. _Ahh, Zaraki Kenpachi,_ he thought to himself, _we'll need a head start tomorrow._

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"Well damn this." He muttered. It was a quarter to three and he still hadn't found them. He had started looking around at one o'clock, knowing that Yachiru would've started setting up early.

He rounded the next corner, only to find that it was a three-way junction. "Damn who ever made this place so friggin' big!"

He took the left turn and to his surprise and delight, found a certain someone. "Kurosaki Ichigo! So you've come to face me, have ya?"

Ichigo blanched. "K-Kenpachi? No, I'm here on special—"

Zaraki's menacing reiatsu cut him off. It was clear that Zaraki wasn't going to hear him out. "Kenpachi! Stop! I don't have time for—"

"Fer what? To get yer ass kicked?" He let out a howl of laughter. "Ah, Kurosaki. Today you will regret ever fighting me and running away before a rematch."

Ichigo, now seeing the only way to deal with Zaraki was to fight him, takes Zengetsu from his back. Zaraki smiles wildly as he watches the bandages unwind from Zangetsu, stoping at the hilt. "Kenpachi! No!" Kurosaki screams as he sees Zaraki remove his eyepatch.

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The reiatsu was felt by everyone in Sereitei. Kyouraku Shunsui, taicho of the eighth division, and long time friend Ukitake Juushiro, taicho of the thirteenth squad were having tea in the thirteen division captain's office (which is quite far from the fight).

"My, my, it seems Zaraki taicho has found out that Kurosaki Ichigo is in town." Shunsui commented a little amused.

Ukitake, a little worried. "Should we go and stop it?"

"Nahh. Let 'em have their fun. Although, we may have to go check it out if innocent bystanders get hurt. Especially the ladies" Shunsui said thoughtfully.

"I wonder if he brought Rukia with him?" Ukitake mused aloud.

"Hmm. We could invite her over for tea and see what's new in the real world." Shunsui suggested.

They both liked the sound of that idea going back to their tea drinking and began wondering out loud what could be happening in the real world, forgetting what had started their conversation in the first place.

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"Bankai." Ichigo growled. He had more important things to do than fight with this blood thirsty imbecile. There was a big gust of wind and dust and appeared the transformed Ichigo. He changed from wearing his Shinigami attire to wearing the black long coat, pulled together in one place at his chest, his Zanpaktou, Zangetsu is now a thinner, black sword, looking more like an unreleased katana.

They stood there across from each other, reiatsu flaring. Zaraki smiled a toothy grin. "Yes, yes, _yes!_"

They began running toward each other at top shunpo speed when they heard it.

"KEN-CHAN!"

Zaraki stopped instantly, but Kurosaki, who was shocked, ran straight into him, landing with an audible _thud_.

"Y-Yes, Yachiru?" Zaraki asked, peeling Ichigo off his chest. He looked up to the top of a building where Yachiru was standing, hand on hips.

"What're you doing? You're late! I thought you just got lost, but here you are fighting with Ichi-san." She yelled, her voiced a higher pitch than normal.

He put his eye patch back on, allowing most of Sereitei to get back on their feet. "I _was_ lost Chiru-chan, but then I turned that corner an' found this idiot Kurosaki an' I couldn' help myself."

Her lower lip jutted out and quivered. "B-But the food Bya-san gave me got all cold and Yumi-san and Bald-san fell asleep!"

How could those two fall asleep? He had only been late by at least an hour. "Aww damn, kid. C'mon, show me the way an' I'll beat Yumi and Ikkaku fer falling asleep on ya." He offered. _Kurosaki'll just have to wait till another time._

She brightened up. "Kay, Ken-chan." She leaped off the building and onto his back. "That way!...I think." She pointed in a seemingly random direction. Zaraki followed. Her sense of direction was bad, but his was worse. Better to follow hers.

"So, what'd that obnoxious snot Byakuya give us to eat?" he inquired.

"Lotsa stuff, Ken-chan! And Yumi-san made us some too." She sounded so happy.

"Great." His voice heavy with sarcasm.

Meanwhile, Ichigo still lay on the ground, oblivious to anything that happened.


End file.
